ASU makes inroads on improved rostering at Jetstar
Negotiations over your new Enterprise Agreement are continuing, and for some items, we are moving towards negotiating specific details and settling the claims. Many improvements are contingent on the Enterprise Agreement as a whole. Some aspects are heading in the right direction, while others have not progressed.
Heading in the right direction…
Rosters
We are currently negotiating around providing better predictability in your rosters. The details are not finalised, but the proposed changes include the following:
1. Limiting the change to your starting time of 2 hours, unless you agreed at -7,
2. Ensuring a minimum rest period of:
- 36 hours at the time of roster publication for single days off,
- 56 hours at the time of roster publication when rotating between late to morning shifts.
- The rostered breaks won’t impact your ability to pick up shifts during this period.
Filling full-time positions
Jetstar will create additional full-time positions in Brisbane, Coolangatta, Melbourne and Sydney as a product of negotiations. These new positions will create a pathway for more part-time employees to access full-time hours. We are currently negotiating around the specific process to fill the new positions and aim to ensure a fair and balanced approach.
Support for Health and Safety Reps (HSRs)
HSRs will be rostered to attend the consultation meetings, and we are discussing the appropriate level of support.
Calculating leave
Jetstar will move to a system that calculates and deducts leave and the penalty rate based on your average work pattern. This change will ensure if you are scheduled to work with a high number of hours in your roster, it won’t all be consumed but rather based on your prior average.
Shift swaps
Under the current proposal, you will be able to shift swap even if it leads to you dropping below minimum hours. This will provide you with greater flexibility in organising your rosters to suit your needs.
Baggage Commission
Jetstar has agreed to increase the baggage commissions scheme for the life of the new Enterprise Agreement.
What is outstanding…
Pay and Parental Leave
Unfortunately, the Qantas Group policy has led to an intractable position where Jetstar is applying a two-year pay freeze for 2022 and 2023. The Qantas Group pay policy demonstrates how important it is for the Senate to pass the Secure Jobs, Better Pay bill in Parliament. Our industrial relations system has far too long been in favour of employers.
Further, Jetstar has rejected our claims on improving parental leave. While it has been rejected at the Jetstar level, Qantas has agreed to negotiate improvements with the ASU for its core Enterprise Agreement. Our view is that any improvements made with Qantas must flow onto Jetstar workers.
Job security
Jetstar has rejected our claim that the airline should include in the new Enterprise Agreement a provision that they are committed to employing Jetstar employees directly (instead of labour-hire). Your job security is a key issue that you deserve some certainty on. Jetstar must commit to supporting and employing workers directly
Supporting ASU delegates
Your delegates work tirelessly representing members and negotiating your Enterprise Agreement. We are pushing that your delegates should receive paid training to understand the industrial relations system, particularly in light of the fact that there will be coming changes.
Flexible Working Arrangements
Jetstar has rejected our claim that you should have an enforceable right to dispute whether your FWA is rejected. While it has been rejected, we will keep pushing for it.
While progress has been made on a number of issues that are important to you, we must keep the pressure on to secure a good deal for Jetstar workers.
If you or your colleagues aren’t already members of the ASU, we encourage you to join your union today
https://www.asu.asn.au/asujoin. If you require any support or additional information, please get in touch with your local ASU delegates or ASU organiser at:
